SIX
Phoebe and Paige came into the kitchen together the next morning. Leo and Piper were all ready there and were just sitting down to a fully prepared breakfast when the two sisters entered the room.
"Good morning, sleepy heads," said Piper. "Perfect timing. Everything's ready."
"Great, I'm starved," said Paige. "Everything looks great, as usual."
"Where's Cole?" Leo asked.
"Oh, he's been gone most of the night," said Phoebe. "He's still got that crazy idea that our headaches yesterday were more than just headaches."
"Well, I suppose he could be right," said Leo, not totally confident.
"I think he's just seeing demons at every turn," said Piper. "Other than we each had a slight headache, nothing has happened."
"I'm with Piper on this one," said Paige. "There hasn't been even a hint of demon activity. By the way, isn't it dangerous for Cole to go snooping around? The Source still wants him dead."
"He said something about still having underworld contacts," said Phoebe. "He said it wouldn't be dangerous. Most of his contacts aren't on real good terms with demons either, though most of them aren't wanted dead or alive like he is. But he said they might be able to learn if something is going on."
"He just better be careful," said Leo. "If the Source learns what's going on, Cole could be in more danger than he all ready is."
"More than being under a death sentence?" questioned Phoebe. "I don't see how much worse it can be. Besides, he promised he'd be careful. He said he should be home early today. He was just going to check with some of his sources to see if anything unusual was going on in the underworld."
"Aren't you going to be late for work, Paige?" asked Piper.
"No," said Paige. "The office is closed today for some repairs or something. They're upgrading the phone system and they said it's going to take the whole day. So I have the day off."
"Phoebe?" Cole called coming in the front door, "Piper, Paige, are you guys still home?"
"In the kitchen, sweetie," Phoebe called to him.
"He sounds upset," said Piper. "I wonder if he found what he was looking for."
"I did," said Cole. "I knew your headaches were more than headaches. Leo, we have to get them out of here. They're in terrible danger."
"Whoa, hold on, big boy," said Paige. "We aren't going anywhere. Whatever you've learned, we'll deal with it."
"Not this," said Cole. "Leo, I know you'll understand. They won't. But there's no time to waste. It hasn't attacked yet but it's only a matter of time before it does. We have to get them to some safe place right now."
"Cole, what is it?" Leo asked. "What could be so bad that it has you so worked up?"
"Yeah, sweetie?" questioned Phoebe. "Like Paige said, I'm sure we can handle it whatever it is. Did your snitches tell you something?"
"They sure did," said Cole. "It took some doing. Mostly there were just rumors floating around which in itself is suspicious. No one seemed to know anything specific. But I finally ran across an old acquaintance that heard some things. And it's not good."
"What is it?" Leo asked. "Is there a demon after the girls? Is that's what has you all worked up?"
"No, not a demon," said Cole. "Something far worse. Something they can't possibly be prepared for."
"Well, what is it?" asked Phoebe.
"It's the Source," said Cole. "After his defeat recently he's decided to pull out all the stops. He's sending something against them that's guaranteed to destroy them."
"It would have to be something pretty powerful," said Paige. "We've kicked butt on everything he's sent after us so far."
"Not like this," said Cole. "Leo, it's the Darkness. He's sent the Darkness to get them."
"Oh, no," said Leo. "Cole's right. We have to get you girls to safety."
"What's the big deal?" Piper asked. "Just tell us what this Darkness is and we'll make a potion or write a spell to vanquish it. What's the problem?"
"The problem," said Leo, "is that no one knows anything about the Darkness. There's no known way to vanquish it because every person who's gone against it has died. No one has ever survived an encounter with it."
Phoebe and Paige came into the kitchen together the next morning. Leo and Piper were all ready there and were just sitting down to a fully prepared breakfast when the two sisters entered the room.
"Good morning, sleepy heads," said Piper. "Perfect timing. Everything's ready."
"Great, I'm starved," said Paige. "Everything looks great, as usual."
"Where's Cole?" Leo asked.
"Oh, he's been gone most of the night," said Phoebe. "He's still got that crazy idea that our headaches yesterday were more than just headaches."
"Well, I suppose he could be right," said Leo, not totally confident.
"I think he's just seeing demons at every turn," said Piper. "Other than we each had a slight headache, nothing has happened."
"I'm with Piper on this one," said Paige. "There hasn't been even a hint of demon activity. By the way, isn't it dangerous for Cole to go snooping around? The Source still wants him dead."
"He said something about still having underworld contacts," said Phoebe. "He said it wouldn't be dangerous. Most of his contacts aren't on real good terms with demons either, though most of them aren't wanted dead or alive like he is. But he said they might be able to learn if something is going on."
"He just better be careful," said Leo. "If the Source learns what's going on, Cole could be in more danger than he all ready is."
"More than being under a death sentence?" questioned Phoebe. "I don't see how much worse it can be. Besides, he promised he'd be careful. He said he should be home early today. He was just going to check with some of his sources to see if anything unusual was going on in the underworld."
"Aren't you going to be late for work, Paige?" asked Piper.
"No," said Paige. "The office is closed today for some repairs or something. They're upgrading the phone system and they said it's going to take the whole day. So I have the day off."
"Phoebe?" Cole called coming in the front door, "Piper, Paige, are you guys still home?"
"In the kitchen, sweetie," Phoebe called to him.
"He sounds upset," said Piper. "I wonder if he found what he was looking for."
"I did," said Cole. "I knew your headaches were more than headaches. Leo, we have to get them out of here. They're in terrible danger."
"Whoa, hold on, big boy," said Paige. "We aren't going anywhere. Whatever you've learned, we'll deal with it."
"Not this," said Cole. "Leo, I know you'll understand. They won't. But there's no time to waste. It hasn't attacked yet but it's only a matter of time before it does. We have to get them to some safe place right now."
"Cole, what is it?" Leo asked. "What could be so bad that it has you so worked up?"
"Yeah, sweetie?" questioned Phoebe. "Like Paige said, I'm sure we can handle it whatever it is. Did your snitches tell you something?"
"They sure did," said Cole. "It took some doing. Mostly there were just rumors floating around which in itself is suspicious. No one seemed to know anything specific. But I finally ran across an old acquaintance that heard some things. And it's not good."
"What is it?" Leo asked. "Is there a demon after the girls? Is that's what has you all worked up?"
"No, not a demon," said Cole. "Something far worse. Something they can't possibly be prepared for."
"Well, what is it?" asked Phoebe.
"It's the Source," said Cole. "After his defeat recently he's decided to pull out all the stops. He's sending something against them that's guaranteed to destroy them."
"It would have to be something pretty powerful," said Paige. "We've kicked butt on everything he's sent after us so far."
"Not like this," said Cole. "Leo, it's the Darkness. He's sent the Darkness to get them."
"Oh, no," said Leo. "Cole's right. We have to get you girls to safety."
"What's the big deal?" Piper asked. "Just tell us what this Darkness is and we'll make a potion or write a spell to vanquish it. What's the problem?"
"The problem," said Leo, "is that no one knows anything about the Darkness. There's no known way to vanquish it because every person who's gone against it has died. No one has ever survived an encounter with it."